Sliding jaw screw cap removers



T. ZELLER 2,7l9,444

SLIDING JAW SCREW CAP REMOVERS Oct 1955 Filed April 28. 1954Illllllllllllllllliw-I .4 L97 P20533 tia :f4

f/ ff .53257 United States Patent O SLIDING JAW SCREW CAP REMOVERSTheodore Zeller, Chicago, Ill.

Application April 28, 1954, Serial No. 426,076

2 Claims. (Cl. 813.42)

The present invention relates to screw cap removers, wrenches and thelike, and is particularly concerned with an improved tool for removingthe screw caps usually employed upon glass jars.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a quality toolfor removing screw caps which is adjustable to caps of various sizes,which is simple in construction, positive in its action and adapted tobe manipulated with a minimum amount of effort on the part of the user.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved screwcap remover which clamps the cap automatically when the handle isgrasped in such manner as to pull the handle in the direction requiredfor unscrewing the cap.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved screwcap remover adjustable to caps of different size in which a movable jaw,which may be freely moved into engagement with the cap to adjust thesize, is automatically secured in that position and advanced intotighter engagement with the cap when a lever is actuated on the handle.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved qualitytool which may be manufactured cheaply and which may be used for manyyears without neces sity for repair or replacement of any of its parts,and which may be sold to a large number of purchasers at a reasonablecost.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying drawings, in which similarchaarcters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to the drawings, of which there is one sheet, accompanyingthis specification,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing a fragment of a jar having acap to which the present screw cap remover is applied;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the screw cap remover;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view with the parts shown in a full-lineposition and a dotted-line position to illustrate the action which takesplace when the screw cap is clamped;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 4 4,looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of the clamping screw;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view similar to Fig. 3, showing amodification in the form of a wrench.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, 10 indicates in its entirety my improvedscrew cap remover, which preferably includes a supporting handle 11, afixed jaw 12 carried thereby, a movable jaw 13, an actuating lever 14,and a slider 15 for supporting the lever 14.

The handle 11 is shown as a straight bar of suitable metal or steelwhich is rectangular in cross section, as shown in Fig. 4. The handlehas its straight shank 16 provided with a Y-shaped formation 17, 18, atthe cap end for the purpose of supporting the fixed jaw 12, which isixedly secured to the Y-formations 17, 18 at their ends by welding,brazing or the like.

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The fixed jaw 12 extends transversely to the handle shank 16 and mayconsist of a curved strip having an outer curved wall 19 and an innerjaw formation 20 provided with a plurality of teeth.

The jaw formation preferably has a central curvature 21 which is on asmaller radius for gripping smaller caps while the outer portions 22 ofthe jaw are formed on a larger radius for engaging larger caps at twopoints.

The lxed jaw 12 is also rectangular in cross section. In someembodiments of the invention the handle and xed jaw may be stamped outof sheet metal.

The movable jaw 13 comprises a substantially rectangular block having alower wall 23, an upper wall 24, a pair of side walls 25 and 26, and aforwardly projecting clamping flange 27.

The walls 23-26 surround a rectangular through opening 23 extendinglongitudinally of the block and having a suitable clearance for slidablyengaging the rectangular handle shank 16.

The thickness of the rectangular handle shank 16 should be quiteuniform, as this handle shank is clamped by a threaded member 41,further to be described; and a variation in thickness of the handleshank of a few thous andths may cause a variation in the clamping actionof the threaded member 41.

The forwardly projecting clamping flange 27 is located as an extensionof the bottom wall 23 and is in alignment with the xed jaw 12, which islocated on the bottom of the handle shank 16.

The clamping flange 27 has a curved end surface 29 which is providedwith a multiplicity of teeth and is adapted to receive and clamp thescrew caps which are to be removed. The curvature of the toothed endsurface 29 is preferably relatively large for giving a maximum engagingcontact with large caps.

The movable jaw 13 has its guide block provided with a depending pin 30,which is located in a bore 31 in the bottom wall 23, where it isfrictionally secured.

Pin 30 may have a rounded lower end 32, and is of sufficient length toproject through a slot 33 in the lever 14. The slider 15 comprises ablock of metal provided with a rectangular through aperture 34 forslidably engaging the handle shank 16, with which it has a suitableclearance.

The rectangular aperture 34 is surrounded by the upper wall 35, bottomwall 36, the two side walls 37 and 38. The bottom wall 36 is providedwith :a relatively large threaded bore 39 for receiving the threadedbody 40 of a clamping screw 41.

Threaded body 40 is preferably made quite wide for engaging a large areaof the bottom of handle shank 16 to clamp the slider 15 as securely aspossible.

The length of the threaded body, as shown in Fig. 4, is sutlicient toextend from its clamping end 42 through the bore 39 when the screw isengaging the handle shank; and the threaded body 40 also extends outsidethe slider 15 with a clearance at 43 between the lever 14 and the handleshank.

The clamping screw 41 preferably has relatively fine threads, such as,for example, 24 threads to the inch, for the reason that when theclamping screw 41 first engages the shank and clamps it, fine threadspermit the lever 14 to be moved still farther to the full line positionof Fig. 3, during which latter movement the clamping screw clamps theslider 15 more securely and permits the cam slot 53 to act on the pin 30and move the movable jaw 13. Very coarse threads, or threads having ahigh pitch, tend to stop movement of the handle 14.

This clearance prevents the lever 14 from interfering with the clampingaction. The clamping screw 41 is provided with a non-circular shank 44,which may be rectangular or square, and is of sufficient width to passalmost through the lever 14.

There is a threaded bore 45 in the non-circular shank 44 of the screwfor receiving the threaded shankl of a screw bolt 46, which is providedwith a washer 47, and which fxedly secures the lever 14 to the clampingscrew 41 by clamping the lever 14 against the annular end surface 48 onthe clamping screw. Having a clearance at 49v between the end 50 of thenon-circular shank 44 and the lever 14 permits the head and washer tocome into clamping action with the side of the lever 14, instead ofengaging the end 50 of the screw.

Lever 14 is thus adapted to thread the clamping screw 41 into the bore39 of the slider 15 until the end 42 of the screw clamps the handleshank 16. The handle shank is also engaged with the upper side of thebore 34 in the slider 15; and a powerful clamping action is secured,which prevents any further sliding movement of the member on the handleshank. lWhen the lever 14 is in the dotted line position of Fig. 3, thepin 30 is at the upper end in Fig.` 3 of the slot 33; and the threadedclamping screw 41 is retracted out of engagement with the handle shank.Then the slider 15 slides freely on the handle.

58 indicates a stop for the slider 15, comprising a steel pin withrounded ends, the pin being frictionally engaged in a bore 59 in thehandle 10, for limiting the openin movement of the tool by engaging theslider 15.

The slot 33 is arcuate in form, being formed on a predetermined radius,having its center at some point 51, below the axis of clamping screw 41.This causes the side 52 of the slot 33 to slope away from the axis ofthe clamping screw 41 in a downward direction in Fig. 3; and the otherside 53 of the' slot 33 is formed on the same center, and is adapted toretract the pin 30 and movable jaw 13.

The ends of the slot 33 are preferably rounded to fit the pin 30; andthe relation of the parts is such that there is always a clearancebetween the pin 30 and the end 54 of the slot 33, leaving a furtherrange of movement for the lever 14 in its clamping action by means ofthe screw 41.

Y The operation of the present screw cap remover is as follows:

The handle shank 16 is placed on top the screw cap 55, with the fixedjaw 12 engaging one side of the screw cap, preferably at the knurledportion 56 of the screw cap. The lever 14 being in the dotted lineposition of Fig. 3, the clamping screw 41 is withdrawn in its threadedbore 39; and the slider 15 slides freely on the handle shank.

Movable jaw 13 and lever 14v slide together because they are joined bypinV 30 and slot 33; and at this time the two sliding blocks are inengagement with each other. The clearance shown at 57 (Fig. 3) betweenthem represents the later movement in effecting a clamping action.

The movable jaw is moved up into engagement with the knurled edge of thescrew cap. The spacing of the jaws ofthe screw cap remover has now beenadjusted to the particular cap.

The handle 11 and lever 14 are then grasped in the hand and pressureapplied to move the lever 14 from its dotted-line position, Fig. 3, tothe full-line position.

The initial arcuate movement of the lever 14 advances the clamping screw41 in its bore 39 and causes the end 42 of the screw 41 to clamp thehandle shank.

The slider 15 is'now clamped in fixed position by initial movementoflever 14 in a clockwise direction in Fig. 3. Further movement of thelever 14 in the same direction causes the wall 52 of slot 33 to cam thepin 30 to the left, causing the jaw 13 to advance to the left to clampthe screw cap.

The teeth of the two jaws bite into the screw cap which now canbeunscrewed by turning the handle in a counterclockwise direction,looking; at the top of the cap'.

The` cap isr released by merely moving the lever 14 from the full-lineposition of Fig. 3 to the dotted-line position, which retracts the jawand finally loosens the clamping screw 41.

Referring to Fig. 6, this is a fragmentary View of a modification inwhich the handle 16 is provided with a fixed jaw 60 of a different shapewelded to the handle 16 at 61.

Jaw 60 may have a laterally extending portion 62, an upwardly extendingportion 63, and a transversely extending portion 64, having a straighttoothed clamping surface 65.

All of the details of the tool may be the same except that the forwardlyextending flange 27a may be made longer for the purpose of grippingsmaller articles between its end 29a and the fixed jaw surface 65.

It will thus be observed that l have invented an improved screw capremover or wrench which may be made to grip articles of various sizes,and which is automatically adjusted to size by merely sliding the jawstoward each other. There is no need to turn any screws or other membersfor adjusting the jaws.

After adjustment of the tool to size with the articles to be clamped, itis only necessary to grip the combined lever and handle which securesthe parts in clamping position and advances the movable jaw into tightclamping relation with the cap or other article. The jaws are againreleased by merely moving the lever away from the handle.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, manymodifications may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details ofconstruction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes withinthe scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. In a screw cap remover, the combinationv of an elongated handle ofuniform cross section over its major length, the said handle beingprovided at one end with a transversely extending fixed jaw secured toone side of the handle, a slider mounted for sliding movement on saidhandle and having a movable jaw extending toward said fixed jaw andopposed thereto, a second slider located on said handle behind saidfirst slider and provided with a threaded clamping member extendingthrough said second slider and engaging said handle, a lever fxedlymounted on the end of said threaded member, and carnming means actingbetween said lever and rst slider for advancing said movable jaw intoengagement with a member to be clamped after the second slider'has been,clamped in fixed position on said handle, said camming means comprisinga pin and a transverse slot, theV slot sloping toward said fixed jaw andthe walls ofsaid slot acting on the pin to grip or release the articleto be gripped, the said threaded member having an enlarged threadedportion with a clamping end surface engaging a substantial area of saidhandle, and said threaded meniber having a non-circular shank extendinginto saidY lever in a non-circular aperture of complementary shape.

2. In a screw cap gripping device, the combinationof an elongated metalbar having a uniform cross section and smooth sides with a 4fixed jawsecured on saidl bar transversely at one end of the bar, and having agripping portion facing backwardly adjacent the face of said bar toengage the sides of a cap when the face of the batr engages the cap end,a sliding jaw having a body surrounding said bar with an aperturecomplementary to the bar, and having a gripping-` portion opposite tothaton the fixed jaw, a pincarried by said sliding jaw, a slidersurrounding said bar and spaced from said movable jaw body, said sliderhaving a threaded bore extending through it and a threaded clampingmember in said bore engaging the face of said bar, and having an outernoncircular end portion, a hand lever fixedly mounted on said endportionand extending at an acute angle to said bar, said lever References Citedinthe file of this patent having an opposite extension overlying saidmovable jaw UNITED STATES PATENTS body, and said extension having asloping slot receiving toward the bar, and the slider then becomingiixed on 3,595 Great Britain Feb- 12, 1898 said bar, the slot thenacting as a cam on the pin to force 10 the movable jaw toward the fixedjaw a limited amount to clamp a cap.

